2026 – Vincent Keymer

Vincent Keymer of Germany made a name for himself when he won the 2018 Grenke Chess Open at age 13. Ranked only 99th in the event he scored 8 from 9 for a performance rating of 2798 which is still the highest ever achieved by a player under 14. Keymer was awarded the Grandmaster title the following year and has moved steadily upward ever since, aided by the coaching of former World Championship contender Peter Leko. Keymer crossed 2700 in 2022, the same year he finished second to Magnus Carlsen at the World Rapid Championship. 2025 was a banner year for the young German as he crossed over 2750 for the first time winning the German Championship in May and the Chennai Grand Masters in August. He was rated number four in the world on the January 2026 FIDE rating list. Will Vincent Keymer become the first player from Germany to reach the Candidates final since Robert Hubner, or will he go even further and become World Champion like his illustrious countryman Emanuel Lasker?